Walk Carefully in Wisdom

If you would turn with me to Ephesians chapter 5, we'll be reading verses 15 through 17. Ephesians 5, beginning verse 15.

Let's pray. You've cleansed us and are preparing us as your own bride, sanctifying us so that we would be holy and without blemish. It is in you that we find all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So we pray, Holy Spirit, come among us this evening and guide us into truth. Be our teacher. Be to us the refining fire and make us more like Jesus, we pray, in his precious and holy name. Amen.

You may be seated. The first chapter of Genesis in verse 4 tells us that God is one who makes distinctions, who divides and separates. After he spoke light into existence, he saw that the light was good and he separated light from darkness.

And like so many things in those early verses of Genesis, this is a physical reality that points us to an even greater and more important spiritual reality. Beginning with this early mention of the distinction between light and darkness, the entire Bible then points to this truth as the reality of creation reveals to us this distinction between good and evil. And time and again, scriptures speak of good as being light, evil as being darkness. In fact, God's gift of salvation in Christ is described in the New Testament as bringing his children out of darkness into light. In 1 Peter 2, 9, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. In our previous study in Ephesians in verses 8 through 14, we were reminded that we were darkness, but now are you light in the Lord? And so we're commanded to walk as children of light. And here now as Paul continues to use contrast to show us what it means to put off the old and put on the new, he speaks in these verses of those who are wise rather than unwise, of those who have understanding rather than being foolish. Each of us falls into one group or the other.

God doesn't have third and fourth categories here. You're either darkness or light. And we are either to walk in wisdom or be fools, to have understanding of what God's will is or to act foolishly. And so Paul says to the Ephesians and to us in verse 15, look carefully then how you walk. As the King James puts it, see that you walk circumspectly. I haven't used that word very much in my normal conversation this week, but I have looked at it a lot as I've studied this.

It's an interesting word. It has to do with being diligent, being perfect in thinking, being exact. And so here in these verses tonight we have this proposition. Because the days are evil, because the world in which we live is evil, the times in which we live are evil, we must not be foolish and unwise, but we must be wise and understand what the will of the Lord is. And so let's begin by looking carefully at some of the key words in these three verses. Verse 15 begins, look carefully then how you walk.

This is command. In the Greek text it's a verb that is in present tense, active verb, and it is in second person plural. That means that, first of all, it's a lifestyle, it's ongoing, it's something that is continuing in the present tense. It's also active means that this is something we've got to do, work at.

And then it's second person plural, which means it includes all of us. This is not something for special people, this is something that all of us are to be working at and doing in response to the command of Scripture. Look carefully then how you walk, the manner, the way in which you live your life is important. But it also has this facet of the way that the King James translates this, see then that you walk circumspectly. Not just the manner in which you walk, but the fact that you are actually doing this.

Stay on the alert, be cautious, be careful. See that you walk in this way. And the next phrase then reveals the character of this walk. Walk not as unwise, but as wise. Wise in the biblical sense is a moral category quality rather than intellectual quality. To be foolish is to be godless. Psalm 14 verse 1 says, the fool says in his heart, there is no God. Biblical wisdom is not natural, it's a supernatural aspect of our walk in Christ.

It's a gift from God. In fact, James admonishes us that when we lack wisdom, we are to ask and God will give us wisdom generously and without reproach. So here in Ephesians, after telling us that we are to walk carefully, not as fools and unwise, but as wise. It goes on then in verse 16 and explains that we are to do this, we are to make the best use of the time because the days are evil. That phrase, making the best use of the time, or as King James puts it, redeeming the time. It literally means buying up the time.

It's sort of the picture of like you would go to a pawn shop and buy back something. That idea of buying up the time, taking advantage of the opportunities. It doesn't mean that every moment of every day is to be engaged in religious activity, but it's a lifestyle of taking advantage of every opportunity that is presented to us. The Lord brings these opportunities to us and he does it in such unexpected ways so many times. This morning, we had the joy of hosting a young man that I've had the privilege of working with and counseling in recent days. When I think about how God brought that about, my wife was sitting across the table from his mother and they began to talk about cataract surgery and that made the connection.

Eventually, that led through a series of events to my opportunity to redeem the time by spending time with that young man and taking him into the Word and guiding him as he seeks to know Christ. So, taking advantage of the opportunities that the Lord brings us because he says the days are evil. When Paul was writing this, of course, the Ephesus was notoriously evil, known as a place of idolatry and things like that. When we think of first century cities that were evil and that received the preaching of the gospel from men like Paul, we tend to think in terms of debauchery and perversion and idol worship, temple prostitution, and of course, those things were there, abundantly so. But behind all of that was a philosophy and thought, a worldview, a way of thinking that didn't see the world through the lens of truth, saw the world without reference to the true and living God.

Today in America, the days in which we now live are really no different, are they? We don't have a temple to Artemis and we don't have temple prostitutes and that kind of thing, but we have just as much evil in our day. We have perversity and corruption and the obvious evils that are so extreme. But the Father of Lives is now and always has been subtle and cunning and deceitful, even presents himself as an angel of light.

And he started that in the Garden of Eden and came as a wily serpent and deceived and beguiled Eve. But an even greater danger, I think, for us as believers receiving this word from Paul is this danger of not just the level of depravity that's out there around us and all the stuff that we see. A greater danger for us is the lethargy and apathy that are rampant in the church.

Attitudes and mindsets that allow us to sit complacently by while the world goes just precipitously falling deeper and deeper into depravity. So much so that there has invaded our church in America a foolishness, a mindset, a deception that has even embraced evil as good and good as evil. And the church is lured to condone and then to embrace what is, in fact, an abomination in God's sight.

And so Paul repeats the exhortation in verse 17 in slightly different terms. He says, do not be foolish, but understand the word for foolish here is different from the word for unwise in verse 15. It's a word that means mindless, stupid. It has an element of rashness in it, acting out of feeling and instinct. Martin Lloyd-Jones talks about this. He says it's governed by feelings instead of reason, just a riot of enjoyment governed by desire.

I must have what I like. It's governed by impulses and instinct, by zeal. Not that zeal is always wrong, but when zeal is in control, we get in trouble, don't we? And so the wise person, on the other hand, is thoughtful and sober-minded. He exercises sound judgment and knows how to apply knowledge. He's governed by biblical principle.

Paul, in other letters, often uses this idea in instructing believers. He says, think with sober judgment. Keep awake and be sober.

Always be sober-minded. We are not to be foolish, but to understand what the will of the Lord is. The word for understanding there literally means to put together mentally. We are to be thoughtful and sober-minded and to understand, to be thinkers.

We want the truth to be in our heart and have that kind of fervent relationship to Christ. But it starts with the thought, doesn't it? It starts with the mind, just like the evil and the sin and the temptation. It starts with the mind, and Paul says that we are to take every thought captive. Our dear pastor brought me a little plaque one time. We talked about this, and I've got that plaque sitting on my bookcase in my study out there. It says, every thought captive.

That's where it starts, in the mind. And we need to be thoughtful, sober-minded believers, understanding what the will of the Lord is. Earlier in this letter to the Ephesians, Paul, in chapter 1, talks about the fact that the riches of God's grace, he's lavished those riches of his grace on us, and in that has made known to us the mystery of his will. God has revealed his will to us, hasn't he? In the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul says, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification. God's will is for us to be growing in holiness, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body and holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. God's will for us is sanctification, daily growing in our understanding of God, our knowledge of God, growing in grace, Christ-likeness. And then, later in Thessalonians, Paul writes this, see that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. It's God's will that you be a person who is always rejoicing, praying without ceasing, always giving thanks in all circumstances, doing good to one another and to everyone.

It's a pretty high bar, isn't it? But that's God's will for us, and we are to understand that and not live as fools, but to understand what the will of the Lord is. In Colossians, Paul writes, and let's just turn there in Colossians chapter 1 and just read it there, it's close by. Colossians chapter 1, beginning with verse 9. Paul says to the Colossians, And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. That's where we started with this journey in Ephesians at the beginning of chapter 4. Paul says, I therefore the prison of the Lord beseech you that you walk in a manner worthy of your vocation, your calling. We're to walk in a manner that's worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We can't even comprehend this life that we're called to, much less live it out, can we? It's a supernatural work of God in us. It's not natural. So the question comes in, which group am I in?

How is my walk? I profess belief, but am I walking in the ways of the world? So let's think about some ways that the Bible pictures this contrast of foolishness and wisdom. We're familiar with some of the places where fools are identified. You remember the story of the rich man who, he was a very successful business man. We would have considered him to be a great success in our day, wouldn't we? You know, he had such growth in his business that he decided he didn't have space for all of it. He's going to tear down the barns and build some new ones, and I'm fixed for life.

My retirement plan is in place. And what did God say? You fool. Material values, temporal values are foolishness.

And we spend so much time focused on those things, don't we? God said, fool. Jesus said, the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

That's a fool. Material, temporal values. Failure to honor God. Ungratefulness. Paul, in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans, for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him.

Lack of gratitude toward God is one of the beginning steps of depravity. Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. We've seen some expression of that this past week, haven't we?

As presidents of the most prestigious universities in America could not answer a simple question, just a straightforward yes and no, and they opened their mouths and revealed their foolishness. Another expression of foolishness we find in scripture is trusting human wisdom. Proverbs 28, 26. Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool. 1 Corinthians 3, 19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

We don't want to be fools. We want to be unwise, wise, understanding the will of the Lord. Wisdom is a good thing.

It's a desirable thing. In fact, in the Garden of Eden before the fall, Eve knew that wisdom, being wise, was something to desire. We're told that she saw that the fruit of the tree was something that was good to make one wise.

The only problem was she pursued it in her own terms, didn't she? And the devil, as a subtle serpent, tempted and beguiled and questioned God's word and his goodness to them. And so when Eve saw that the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes, that it was to be desired to make one wise, she took and ate and disobeyed God. Wisdom is desirable, and the key to that is hearing and obeying God's word. You remember how Jesus closed his Sermon on the Mount and he gave those wonderful Beatitudes and all the expression of how we are to think about the law as not just external behavior, but hard attitudes, and he got to the close of that and he says, everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man. James put it this way, be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Wisdom is in hearing and obeying God's word. So what do we take away from this? How are we to apply this in our lives? When I think about where to start something like this, I remember the sound of music. Most of you probably have some knowledge of that. Maria is trying to teach the Von Trapp children how to sing and she decides that she needs to make it simple for them and she says, well, let's start at the very beginning.

A very good place to start when you read, you begin with ABC. When you sing, you begin with Do Re Mi. Well, when you begin to investigate and seek the wisdom of God, the Bible clearly tells us fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9 verse 10, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Knowing God leads to wisdom but it's not wisdom for its own sake. Sometimes we get caught up in the mechanics and the processes and it's like I'm a lover of scripture memory. I love to memorize scripture.

But if I get hung up in that process and get proud of the fact that I know these verses and I start focusing on the memorization and the process and even the meditation and I miss the point that is expressed in the hymn. Beyond the sacred page we see Thee, Lord. The point is knowing God and so wisdom has as its purpose bringing us to eternal life, to salvation. Jesus says in John 17, and this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. And Paul in writing to Timothy, he said, From a child you've known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation. Fear of God and knowing Him through His word, which points us to that second application and that is search the scriptures and know His will. God has revealed His will for us in the word. Psalm 19, verse 7, The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. We must not have the foolish mind of the world. The world looks at life and comes to the end of life and thinks this way. I did it my way.

I'm successful. You're a fool if you do it your way. You don't do it God's way. So we are to search the scriptures and know His will. Proverbs warns us, Do not lean on your own understanding. And again, whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool. Even our Lord, when He lived as a man here on earth, showing us how to be what we ought to be, He did not trust His own speech, His own work. He says, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

And again, later in John, I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. We need to search the scriptures to know God's will, not knowing and not believing the scriptures is foolishness. You remember when Jesus was resurrected, the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, and they were all distraught and Jesus comes along and they seem to think He doesn't know what's going on. And then Jesus begins to reveal what the reality is. And this is what He says to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Are we slow to believe what God says in His word? Jesus said, That's foolishness. And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all scriptures the things concerning Himself.

It's all about Him. Search the scriptures and run to Jesus. Fear God. Know His will.

And then a third application. Ask and receive wisdom. When we lack wisdom, we're to ask God. He gives generously to those who ask without reproaching us.

And He gives what we need. The promise of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount again, He says, Ask, it will be given to you. Seek, you will find. Knock, it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks, to the one who knocks it will be opened. Which of you, if a son asks for bread, will give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? And lastly, be on the alert and watch for those opportunities. Take advantage of them. Take advantage of every opportunity.

Train yourself to look for those opportunities that God brings us. Have you ever had the experience of becoming aware of some new thing and it seems like after that you just see it everywhere? Maybe you've bought a car and all of a sudden you start seeing that model everywhere. Well, they were there all the time. You just weren't attuned to it and weren't aware of it. It's something called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. But you're not really encountering anything that much more, more frequently. They were there all the time. You just weren't aware and you weren't attuned to it. And I think to some degree the same thing is true in a Christian life.

When we start looking for the opportunities that God gives us, start buying up the time, redeeming the time, we seem to find more opportunities. In reality, they've been there all the time, haven't they? We just weren't watching. We weren't alert. I had a friend back in Wilmington that used to talk about looking for on-ramps to the gospel. You know, being consciously aware of opportunities to turn the conversation to the gospel. So again and again our Lord said to his disciples, Watch. Watch. Beware. Watch.

You don't know. Watch with me. Watch and pray.

All these warnings to be on the alert, to be watching. We in America today live in evil days, evil times. And Paul says because the days are evil, we need to look carefully how we walk. Not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, buying up every opportunity God gives us.

Let's pray. Father, we get so comfortable in this world that we forget that this is not our home. And we fail to look for those opportunities to lay up treasure in heaven, which will be our eternal home. Father, grant us grace to carefully approach this life in wisdom, not being unwise, not being foolish, but understanding your will, redeeming the time, taking advantage of every opportunity that is presented to us. Fill us with a sense of your presence and your power and your purpose. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.